Smart Girl by Rachel Hollis

Brilliant designer Miko Jin is a hopeless romantic. She’s spent most of her life falling in love over and over again…with the men she finds in the pages of her favorite novels.

When Miko meets Liam Ashton, it’s love at first sight. At least, for her. Sure, the two of them are polar opposites, and yes, he seems to be dating someone new each week. But Miko knows what true love is and that you can’t rush it—after all, what she lacks in real-world experience, she makes up for in book smarts. With novels as her guide, and her best friends by her side, she knows she can get Liam to love her back. But just like any good romance novel, fate has a few plot twists in store. Will Miko get her own happy ending? Will she find the strength to stand up for what she deserves even if it means breaking her own heart?

“Dear, sweet mother of dogs! My stupid e-book skipped to a later chapter, and I just read the word submissive in a place of work, during a business meeting! Hysterical laughter bubbles up inside me, but I tamp it down. A few more seconds and I would have asked him the rest of that question and then promptly committed seppuku with the Montblanc on his desk. I shut down the tablet and toss it into my bag like it’s on fire.”

Miko Jin is a quirky, funny twenty-six-year-old event designer who devours books and really bases her romantic ideas around them with classics as well as modern titles. Her best friend is Max Ashton and she just so happens to have a brother, Liam. Once upon a time on a New Year’s Eve night a year ago, Miko was able to meet him and since then they’ve had a few run-ins and small talks.

Liam is a scoundrel, he doesn’t do relationships. He does casual affairs, he’s too busy and isn’t keen on difficulties when his life is difficult and hectic enough with his work life and other needling aspects.

However! Miko has been pining for Liam for a year and over the course of the year she has jotted down [and continues to do so as the mood strikes her,] the best literary moments in her mind between couples. She has marked down Sense & Sensibility, Jane Eyre, Gone with the Wind and the list goes on.

Soon, Liam is asking for Miko to design a new restaurant’s layout, this will bring them together more and Miko can finally unleash her devious plan. Except nothing goes according to that plan, she is a quirky, awkward individual and more often than not these plans go awry in a hilarious fashion. These moments actually made me snort, laugh and squeal in delight.

Along the way, somehow and it’s sad how true it can be, Miko loses herself and it’s sad to see that, but what is unique is that she snaps out of it. She sees it for what it is and owns it. Instead of constantly repeating herself that she needs to be “a worldly woman and accept this.” She understands that she needs to respect herself first and foremost, perhaps a little late, but overall. I really did enjoy Miko’s character, who can’t relate to an awkward book nerd? I sure could relate to it!

There are highs, lows, and in-betweens. It made me laugh, cry, want to toss my iPad…. Overall, I really, really enjoyed this.